duskfandomcom-20200214-history
Character Creation Questions
Antagonist/NPC Questions #'Who is this NPC?' (Name, Rank, Auspice, Kith, Tradition, things like that.) #'What is this NPC's function in the story?' (Are they a villain? Someone there to aid the heroes? An information source? A red herring?) #'What is this NPC's motivation?' (Profits? Impress one of the PCs? Doing a favor for a friend? Cause chaos? Seize power? Eliminate rivals? This ties in with the NPC's function in the story, but instead of 'what does this NPC do here?', this question is 'why do they do it?') #'Where is this NPC normally found?' (Do they live in Denver? At one of the caerns? In the Umbra?) #'How difficult is it to locate this NPC?' (Generally speaking, are they someone you can track down with inquiries on the street? Are they in the phone book? On a scale of 2-10, how hard is it to find them with an appropriate Wits + Streetwise roll?) #'What kind of resources does this NPC have?' (Does the pawn shop owner the PCs are coming to about an ancient Roman coin deal exclusively in rare coins, or does he also do shadier dealings in guns and other hard to come by items? What kind of network does the drug dealer informant have? How large is that gang leader's gang, and how loyal to him are they? Just what sort of minions does that ancient vampire command?) #'What personal abilities does the NPC have? If the NPC is supernatural, what kind of powers does it wield?' (Rather self-explanatory, really, but basically - if you've got a sheet, this'd be where you'd put it.) Character Questions (Mage Core Rules) #'How Old Are You?' Some mages Awaken at an early age, as children; others don’t Awaken until much later in life. Your character could be one of these exceptions, or perhaps someone who Awakened in the years between. Has your character been a mage for a while, or is this all new? #'How Was Your Life Different?' Even before mages Awaken, they often lead strange lives or endure unusual happenings in their early years, especially if they have powerful destinies. Did your character have an unusually placid life or a very odd one? How was your upbringing, and did your family and friends remark on anything strange about you? Did you notice these events or just think that everyone had quirks in their lives? #'What Was Your Upbringing?' Aside from the magely difficulties of growing up, how did your character's normal life develop? Look at your character's Abilities and see how they might have been learned. Were the character's parents present, or did she come from a broken home? Did she go to school or learn at home? What sorts of values and mores did she learn? Delve into where your character grew up and whether she was satisfied with her life and the consequences thereof. #'Who Are Your Friends and Family?' Since your mage came from somewhere, chances are that she has friends and family. Who does your mage count as her friends? What was her family like? Are any of these people still around? If not, why not? If so, do they know about your character's magic? Do they approve of, understand or despise it? For that matter, does your character still have any contact with them? Does your character actually have a good relationship with her friends, or does she tend to just use people? See how your character's network offers opportunities and duties. #'When Did You First Encounter Magic?' Many mages undergo some strange experiences even before they Awaken. Did your character have unusual dreams or visions before Awakening? Did she encounter strange, supernatural creatures? Was someone in the character's family a magician, vampire or other strange being? Or did the Awakening come as a total shock and surprise? From the first encounter with magic, look at your character's response to this sudden revelation. Many people refuse to acknowledge the existence or presence of magic, even after it 's shown to them. How long did it take your character to accept that magic is "real"? Did your character have a feeling all along that something was missing, a hole that was filled with magic, or did she kick, scream and struggle to avoid shattering her safe preconceptions of an orderly world? #'How Did You Join the Traditions? '''Once Awakened, a mage-to-be finds many groups vying for her attention — Technocrats, Traditionalists, Nephandi and others. Presuming that your character is a Tradition mage, how did she get inducted into a Tradition? What drew her to a particular group? Did she think that she could get something out of a particular Tradition’s beliefs as a by -product of her own culture and lifestyle? Did your character have a specific mentor, or did she simply “hand around” with Tradition mages and pick up some of their style? Here you can determine whether your character had or has a mentor, and the relationship between the two. Was your mage’s mentor harsh and cruel, demanding, domineering, helpful, compassionate, distracted, distant, enlightened? Did your character have regular contact with her mentor, or just sporadic letters and mysterious notes ? Did the mentor develop your character into a full Tradition mage, or disappear somewhere along the way, perhaps captured/ killed/ converted by another faction? Did your mage start out with a different group but later change to the Traditions due to the influence of a good mentor on one side or a bad mentor on the other? #'How Did You Join Your Cabal? Typically, a mage hangs out with other mages of similar mind. How did your mage get introduced to other mages? Did your character's mentor, if any, introduce her to other neophytes? If the characters are of different Traditions, then what common bond caused them to stay together? If they are of similar Traditions, then what diverse elements make them unique? Did your character join due to similar goals, or is she now stuck in a cabal that doesn't really mesh with her own drives? Looking for an answer to this question is a good opportunity to talk to the other players and develop some group concepts or hooks to make the characters mesh. #'''How Do You Deal with the Mundane World? Despite their phenomenal powers, mages must deal with the mortal world. There are six billion humans out there, after all. Few mages have the wherewithal to cross into the spirit worlds and live there, which means that the mage must pay rent, deal with a job and handle all of the various exigencies of everyday living. Does your character still have a job, or does she try to use magic to fulfill her needs? Does she deal well with Sleepers, or see them as "crippled"? What steps does she take to minimize exposure to the Technocracy while maintaining something resembling a normal cover of life? Is she flashy with her magic in front of Sleepers, or has she learned caution? There may only be half a dozen members in the cabal, while there are hundreds of mortals out there with whom the mage interacts every day. Player Questions (Mage Core Rules) #'What's Your (Player) Motive? '''Roleplaying games are all for fun, but we all get fun from different things. Examine your motives in building your character. What do you want to get out of this game? Do you want drama? Romance? Social interaction? Pure action? Puzzles? Philosophical conundrums? Once you've got a few basic motives, decide how your character might achieve them. You've got a well-trained ass-kicker or a seductive socialite, but what are their usual tricks and modus operand? What the character wants is important in how she gets it. The hope is that your character will make the way to enlightenment eventually, but in the meantime, there are a variety of ways to deal with the world. #'Does Your Character Have a Sense of Her Future?' Some mages have a powerful destiny leading them to some unavoidable fate. Others have a more clouded vision, simply going wherever the winds of chance blow them. Your character may have some idea of her future, or some plan other own. Some mages like to think that they are preordained for greatness and it's not always possible to sort the chaff from the grain! Do you have a goal in mind for your character — something to accomplish or avoid — or is she just drifting? #'How Does Your Character See His or Her Mystic Path?' Most mages had some sort of plan for their mortal lives before realizing their mystical ones. Now, your mage might have a goal in mind for her mystical path — Ascension? Archmastery? Unlocking some fundamental mystery or historical anomaly? Developing her Tradition's base of influence? On the other hand, your mage might try to reject her magical powers, or just ignore her potential. Eventually the mage may have a slap in the face. How will you react to your mage's new development in magic, or lack thereof, and what's your response if it doesn't turn out the way that she intended? #'What Conflicts Wait in the Road of Magical Development?''' Eventually your mage will have to choose between her magical heritage and her mortal life, if she hasn't already. The Avatar also has a tendency to manifest in dreams or subconscious impulses while pushing the mage in surprising ways. Your mage may find her magical and moral conflicts taking her away from her Tradition, away from her goals, into danger with her flaws or into the forge-fires that will temper her into a true hero. Your mage can't see everything that lies ahead, but you can make some guesses and think about how your mage will be affected by the inevitable conflicts Category:Characters Category:Creation Category:Mage Category:NPCs Category:Changeling Category:Garou Category:Character Creation